The Sovereign – Chapter 126

Volume Seven: Iron Horses Shock the World

Strategic Deployment

The military deployment map, could it be real?

Speed being crucial in warfare, Qin Junlan led the Red Armor Army troops day and night, arriving at Yuzhou in just five days. The towers of Yuzhou were now adorned with Ji Kingdom battle flags, and fifty thousand Red Armor soldiers were swiftly deployed.

All troop deployments were personally arranged by Qin Junlan, with every garrison point, assignment of generals, and command of troops under her precise control.

Yuzhou Prefecture became a military camp, with Qin Junlan stationed there as Supreme Commander. Upon arrival, she immediately rewarded the Yuzhou soldiers. Though two counties had been lost previously, the soldiers’ tenacious resistance had ultimately preserved Yuzhou.

Despite being in wartime, civilian life in Yuzhou remained peaceful. Liu Qianxun, after disguising herself simply as an ordinary man, mingled among the civilians. She discovered strict patrols within the city, but the sentries and patrol guards were not Red Armor troops – those were camped outside the city while Yun Yao’s men controlled the interior.

Liu Qianxun took lodging discreetly at an inn near Yuzhou Prefecture, intending to pose as a common Ji Kingdom traveler passing through. However, feeling constantly watched, she decided to draw out her observer.

In the cold midnight of late autumn, Liu Qianxun walked alone through sparse street corners, deliberately threading through alleys, sensing her pursuer drawing closer. As city patrols passed occasionally, the follower seemed hesitant to appear. Liu Qianxun intentionally avoided the patrol routes to give her stalker an opportunity. Sure enough, upon turning into an alley, several cold arrows flew toward her.

She leaped up, skillfully dodging, and as she turned to identify the attacker, twin blades were already swinging toward her. Dodging left and right, she recognized her assailant.

“Eagle Eye, you’re not by your Master’s side but instead sneaking around Ji Kingdom territory, aren’t you afraid of exposing yourself?” Liu Qianxun said coldly. Eagle Eye, masked in purple robes with only fierce eyes visible, sneered, “Hmpf, Tower Master speaks as if she herself isn’t from Yu Kingdom.”

“I’m no longer the Tower Master of Shura Sect, nor can I return to Yu Kingdom. Why do you pursue me?”

“Traitors to the Master deserve death, especially you!” As Eagle Eye spoke, she suddenly launched a killing move, accompanied by hidden weapons flying toward Liu Qianxun, who was forced to leap into the air. Eagle Eye pursued aggressively, following closely behind.

“You’re no match for me. Don’t seek death.”

“If I die, I’ll take you with me!” Eagle Eye ran across rooftops and walls pursuing Liu Qianxun, who had no choice but to counterattack. This must have been Eagle Eye acting on her own initiative – if Ling Yu wanted her dead, she wouldn’t have waited until now.

Eagle Eye was the leader of the Four Secret Investigators, a merciless killer and the most effective assassination tool, known as the most cold-blooded person in the Shura Sect. However, her loyalty to Ling Yu was unmatched, which was why upon finding Liu Qianxun, she left Shura Sect without hesitation to pursue and kill her.

“If you continue being unreasonable, don’t blame me for showing no mercy.” Killing intent flashed in Liu Qianxun’s eyes. She never liked being cornered, but since Eagle Eye was so reckless, she wouldn’t hold back. Using wind-riding techniques, she struck back with lightning-fast palm strikes, defeating her opponent in less than ten moves.

“Who goes there!” Suddenly both heard patrol guards shouting. Liu Qianxun pushed Eagle Eye away, shouting “Run!” while exposing herself to the guards.

Eagle Eye watched in astonishment as Liu Qianxun walked alone toward the patrol. She left in anger, refusing to accept this debt of gratitude. All who betrayed Shura Sect should die by their laws – since the Master was too soft-hearted, she would eliminate this endless trouble herself. With these thoughts, Eagle Eye retreated to make other plans.

“Who are you?” The guards suspiciously eyed Liu Qianxun. Not wanting to cause a commotion, she produced the gold token that Qin Junlan had once given her through Yun Jin. Seeing the token, the guards immediately knelt, “We didn’t know Your Excellence was here at night. We have offended you.”

“It’s nothing. The Emperor is personally leading the campaign, and I have orders to inspect various places. Continue your patrol, just don’t reveal my whereabouts.”

“Yes, we obey!”

Only after the guards finally left did Liu Qianxun exhale. She stared at the gold token, remembering when she was expelled from the palace, feeling heartache. Though she had survived such difficult times, she couldn’t overcome the trial in her heart. Looking up at the night sky with an aching heart, she resigned herself to forever watching her from within this darkness.

In the dark night, thoughts flooded in. In this city filled with memories of Liu Qianxun, Qin Junlan dared not let herself rest. She couldn’t even close her eyes to rest – whenever things grew quiet, all her thoughts turned to Liu Qianxun. They had pledged their love here, experienced so much together, yet now upon returning to familiar ground, they were separated, and she didn’t know where Liu Qianxun was.

Despite physical discomfort, Qin Junlan remained sleepless through the night, analyzing battle situations and planning deployments with several generals. She commanded Li Ruo’s Death Corps and Bird Squadron, specialized in surprise attacks and delivering military orders. Jiang Wei had shown heroic valor in killing enemies and defending the city gates, earning military merit, and was promoted by Qin Junlan to Cavalry General. Yun Yao’s troops, having different battle tactics from the Red Armor Army, were not sent to the frontlines but instead assigned to protect civilians.

Now Qin Junlan commanded three great generals – Yang, Gong Sun, and Qian – each leading one hundred thousand troops against Yu Kingdom, though these forces were distributed across different locations. Qin Junlan’s troop deployment was masterful, with no one knowing her next move or what strategy she would employ against fighting three kingdoms simultaneously.

“Your Majesty, since capturing Luo Prefecture, our army has been attacking Liu City. Its fall is imminent, but I believe attacking only Liu City is insufficient. Yu Kingdom seems well-prepared, prolonging the engagement. What should have taken half a month has stretched to nearly a month of stalemate,” General Gong Sun reported the latest military intelligence.

“Luo Prefecture and Liu City are Yu Kingdom’s balancing legs. How can they stand steady after losing one leg? Though I didn’t expect Yu Kingdom’s Crown Princess to send one hundred thousand troops to defend Liu City. I suspect she fears another city massacre,” said General Yang, who had served under Bai Yifei. He had been specially promoted after the city massacre because he not only excelled in military strategy and achieved merit but had also been punished with the military staff for remonstrating against the massacre.

Qin Junlan wrote a large character for “mountain” on paper. When Jiang Wei and others looked confused, she asked, “Your Majesty, what is this?”

Qin Junlan smiled gently and turned the paper upside down. When the “mountain” character was inverted, everyone suddenly understood.

“Yu Kingdom’s cities are arranged like a mountain. Luo Prefecture and Liu City are the two legs, but don’t forget about the great city of Chengyang Prefecture. We must break the mountain’s base before we can attack the mountain and finally reach the capital.” She drew her sword, pointing at the map, declaring authoritatively, “Once these three defense lines collapse, Yu Kingdom will fall. Issue the order: according to the deployment map, launch a surprise attack on Chengyang Prefecture, catching them completely off guard.”

“We receive your orders! Your Majesty is wise.”

Qin Junlan narrowed her eyes. The battle formations in the deployment map had taken her five years of careful planning – they were far from mere decoration.

“Ling Yu, this is the first heavy blow from my personal campaign – see if you can withstand it!”

The battlefield was shrouded in gunsmoke, filled with sounds of war – wails and killing cries echoing constantly. Among Yu Kingdom’s three pivotal cities, Luo Prefecture’s massacre had already dealt massive damage to Yu Kingdom, and Liu City’s desperate defense was proving extremely difficult. The Red Armor Army soldiers were all fierce warriors. As the siege horns sounded, two siege towers [mobile assault towers] advanced simultaneously, supported by catapults, while twenty scaling ladders were raised against the walls.

Tens of thousands of archers provided covering fire for the vanguard assault forces. However, Liu City’s defenders were not easy opponents, pouring hot oil, hurling massive rocks, and shooting arrows at the scaling ladders from the towers. The Iron Shield Unit provided protection against the arrow rain, but people kept falling from the towers. Those on the scaling ladders fell like tumbling rocks, bodies dropping one after another.

Blood stained the towers as the weak evening sun shone down. Every day facing the Red Armor Army’s fierce attacks, soldiers died daily. The city was riddled with damage, and to prevent arrow attacks, civilians were forbidden to leave their homes. The city’s soldiers worked both to protect evacuating civilians and to use defensive formations to ensure public safety.

Ling Yu had concentrated all her first-line forces on defending Liu City, fearing another massacre. However, she overlooked a crucial position marked on the deployment map – a force of thirty thousand Red Armor troops was quietly approaching Chengyang Prefecture. At midnight, they launched a sudden attack, capturing Chengyang Prefecture with almost no warning or preparation.

There was no time to mobilize nearby troops or request reinforcements. Within two days, the Red Armor Army swiftly occupied Chengyang Prefecture.

“Crown Princess! Crown Princess!” The messenger came running and stumbling into Lengning Manor.

“What is it?” Ling Yu put down her military manual, her brow creased with worry. Since the war officially began, she had rarely smiled.

“Chengyang Prefecture… has fallen!”

“How is this possible? When did Red Armor troops appear near Chengyang Prefecture?” Lin Wuming asked in disbelief. Ling Yu’s expression changed as she threw the military manual to the ground, “How many troops?”

“About thirty thousand. At Liu City, there are now eighty thousand Red Armor troops attacking several times daily with overwhelming force. I fear we… can’t hold much longer.”

“Hold on even if you can’t! Relay my order: regardless of the battle situation, soldiers must not evacuate before civilians. Even in defeat, we must not abandon the people – where there’s a city, there must be its people!” Ling Yu issued this supreme command, and the messenger immediately left to relay the military order.

Ling Yu’s breathing became rapid. Another city lost overnight, and so suddenly. How could this be? Were there troops deployed near Chengyang Prefecture? Could it be…?

“Wuming, quickly fetch the deployment map.”

Lin Wuming hurriedly brought the stolen deployment map. Ling Yu examined it thoroughly and suddenly felt a sense of dread. “Could it be… this deployment map is genuine?”

“What?”

“Qin Junlan must have anticipated my suspicious nature, knowing I would question the map’s authenticity. Instead, she did the opposite – this map is real.” Ling Yu clenched her fists and gave a cold laugh. She truly hadn’t underestimated Qin Junlan, who hadn’t disappointed her expectations.

“We went through such trouble to obtain this map, even Chen Qing sacrificed herself. Yet we kept doubting its authenticity and failed to prepare according to it, allowing ourselves to be caught off guard. This Ji Empire Emperor’s scheming is truly terrifying.”

“She is the Ji Emperor who eyes the world like a tiger eyes its prey. Why be surprised at such capability? This time I was careless and underestimated the enemy – outsmarted by my own cleverness.” Ling Yu’s brows furrowed deeply. In the end, Qin Junlan was one move ahead. She had been too careless, but how could the person Xun’er loved be ordinary?

Of all people to fall in love with, it had to be Qin Junlan, this ambitious emperor. Ling Yu’s heart felt like it was being pulled by a thread, threatening to tear open her flesh with unbearable pain.

“Wuming…”

“Crown Princess…” Lin Wuming saw her pained expression, yet her posture grew more upright. Each setback only made her stronger – the loss of Chengyang Prefecture had instead ignited her fighting spirit.

“I will personally go to the battlefield. General Wei will guard the capital henceforth. You and Ye Ming stay to protect Lengning Manor.” Ling Yu turned fearlessly, but Lin Wuming rushed forward, drawing a dagger and offering it to Ling Yu. “Please grant me death, Princess.”

“What madness is this?”

“If I cannot follow you in this life, it’s no different from being dead. If that’s the case, better to end Wuming’s life now than to suffer daily worrying about your safety.”

Faced with Lin Wuming’s heartfelt declaration, Ling Yu’s cold, beautiful eyes showed no ripple of emotion. She gave a light snort, appearing disdainful, and slowly said, “Very well, since you’re so eager to die, come with me to the battlefield. If you must die, at least take some Ji soldiers with you.”

“Thank you, Crown Princess, for this grace.” Lin Wuming was secretly delighted, quickly kneeling in gratitude. He feared not death, only being unable to stay by Ling Yu’s side.

Though Ling Yu spoke with such indifference and coldness, his heart remained warm. He understood better than anyone – Ling Yu simply couldn’t bear to watch more of her close companions die one by one.

“Crown Princess!” A scout hurried in to report, “Your Highness, a letter from the Nalan Family Head.”

“Give it here.”

Ling Yu opened the letter, her expression growing grave after reading it. The Nalan family ultimately couldn’t avoid these conflicts.

“Could it be that Qing Kingdom can’t withstand the Red Armor Army anymore?”

“How could Qing Kingdom’s small force resist the Red Armor Army? The Ji Emperor merely wants to use Qing Kingdom as a path to reach Luo Kingdom. She aims to quickly swallow both Qing and Luo Kingdoms to focus on dealing with us.” Nalan Qing  had already informed Ling Yu of the war situation in the letter. In truth, Ling Yu already knew all this – for Qing Kingdom, continued struggle would only result in greater casualties and losses.

“What does Family Head Nalan mean to…?”

“The Ji Emperor sent negotiators, wanting Qing Kingdom to end the conflict. The Qing Emperor will certainly listen to Nalan Qing, so she found this breakthrough point.”

“This Emperor truly leaves no stone unturned. Does she think conquering the world is so easy?” Lin Wuming said indignantly, but saw Ling Yu was unusually calm. “Princess, why are you so composed? Family Head Nalan is your close friend – we could ally with Qing Kingdom to resist Ji Empire properly.”

Ling Yu shook her head wearily, “If Qing Kingdom had Yu Kingdom’s strength, this plan might work. Unfortunately, Qing Kingdom is merely a small state that split from Luo Kingdom. To them, it matters little who sits on the throne. The Qing Emperor is content merely keeping his territory peaceful – he has no heart for war, only following Nalan Qing’s lead. But she’s the head of the world’s wealthiest Nalan clan – knowing defeat is certain, why make pointless sacrifices?”

“But we can’t lose the Nalan family’s support…” Lin Wuming’s face showed concern. The Nalan family provided abundant weapons and supplies – losing this support would make the war much harder to fight. But he knew Ling Yu’s character and could guess her next decision.

“Send word to Nalan Qing – don’t let Qing Kingdom make meaningless sacrifices. Let her decide for herself. The war between Ji and Yu is inevitable, but it needn’t involve other nations. I don’t want to drag her in further.”

“Crown Princess…” Lin Wuming called helplessly, but could only follow orders. Ling Yu’s commands never allowed for refusal.

That day, after arranging the capital’s defenses and related matters, Ling Yu led her group toward Liu City. She couldn’t sit still – if she merely waited for military reports in the capital, the Red Armor Army would likely capture city after city.

Just as Ling Yu received Nalan Qing’s letter, another letter arrived almost simultaneously in Yun Jin’s hands at the Ji Imperial Palace. Nalan Qing’s personally written letter was simple and clear, without mentioning negotiations, yet Yun Jin understood its deeper meaning.

“Imperial Consort, Her Majesty sends word that Nalan Qing refused negotiations – the envoys didn’t even see her.”

Yun Jin smiled, raising her hand, “Nalan Qing wrote to me.”

Li Ruo was puzzled, but then seemed to understand somewhat – perhaps knowing the Wise Princess Consort now governed the palace, Nalan Qing had written directly to her. “Did she make her position clear?”

“General Li may read it.” Yun Jin handed the letter to Li Ruo, who opened it but became more confused. “This… Imperial Consort, I’m a simple person – I can’t understand all these poems and verses…”

“No matter, I understand her meaning. I’ll reply now – we need only wait for news.” Yun Jin’s confidence and composure reassured Li Ruo. With Qin Junlan’s military expertise leading the campaign in front, and the Wise Princess Consort’s strategic planning behind, if Ji Empire couldn’t unify the realm, who could?

---

---